Opening Valentine's Gifts

At long last, on an absolutely gorgeous February morning, Nora and Levi were able to open their Valentine's gifts from me. Nora was very careful with opening hers at first, and then the ripping of the paper really started. Levi was extremely careful with opening his as well, and Selena decided to help him open it so he and Nora could get down to their classes. Nora was so excited to see puppies, and Levi sat down on his right away. He looks upset because he was told to get off the rug, take the picture, and then head for class. Selena also emailed me later yesterday to say thank you, and that the kids really love the rugs!

Oh Happy Day!!!

Oh what a wonderful, wonderful day, day Miles MacMillan will never forget! Yesterday morning, after Worship Service, Miles MacMillan (my cousin Alisha's guy) was baptized. He has been studying the Bible and attending Church services for a while now!

Valentine's Gifts

These are the latch hook rugs that I made for Levi (Noah's Ark) and Nora (Shaggy Dogs). Fortunately I kept these over on my "crafting table" and so they did not suffer the same fate as the growth charts did last night! Actually, the latch hook rugs are already wrapped and waiting for a chance to be opened by Nora and Levi. Oh for better winter weather!! ;-)

I finally did a MAJOR OOPS!

As most people in my life know, I am a major crafter. I sew, crochet, do cross stitch, and latch hook rugs. Tonight I cried over a major oops.
I had the two growth charts for Nora and Levi sitting in my cross stitch tote by "my spot" on the couch. I was working instead on crocheting some dishcloths for someone at work. I had a glass of Dr. Pepper on the table beside me and had just finished setting it down when it slipped and dropped right into the tote. Both growth charts were ruined completely even though I tried to save them. I did manage to sponge the pop off of the pattern chart and the paper shouldn't wrinkle too badly. I cried. A growth chart takes about 200 hours to cross stitch. Levi's had approximately 20 hours left to be finished, and Nora's was about 80 hours worth of being stitched. I don't know right now if I am going to try to redo these growth charts for them, or simply move on and stitch the family trees for them from the Precious Moments pattern book that I salvaged.
Oh, but I did move the tote once it was all wiped clean of anything sticky so that it is completely under the table beside the couch.

Some Cute Pics taken in December 2007

Figured I would let the pictures speak for themselves. All these pictures were taken sometime in December 2007, before December 25.

2nd Annual Sister Shop-a-thon

Well, Selena, Stacy and I did our shopping trip to the sales today, as we did last year. And the conversation eventually turned, at supper after all the shopping, to how much all of us actually spent in comparison to each other, and in comparison to what we could have spent on our items at regular prices, so when I got back home I did the math as I did last year around this time.

I bought four shirts, two skirts, two pairs of pants, three pairs of capris for sleepwear, two pairs of socks, and one pair of shoes. The total of all these items after taxes at regular prices would have been $503.92. What I actually spent on these items after taxes was $190.85. I think I did pretty good on the shopping today!

Grandma Bell's Tribute

Grandma Bell's I Corinthians 13

And now I will tell you of the most excellent woman.
If she had spare time, it was filled with volunteering somewhere or making things for others. If she ever felt upset for hurtful actions of others, no one ever knew. If she ever felt any pain for any reason she would underplay it or just not let it out for others to see.

Grandma was patient, Grandma was kind. She did not envy, she did not boast, she was not proud. She was not rude, she was not self-seeking, she was not easily angered, she did not keep a record of wrongs. She did not delight in evil, but rejoiced with the truth. She always protected, always kept busy, always hoped, always perservered.

Grandma never stopped. Where there were craft supplies, she made a variety of things for people to wear or use. Where there was spare time she filled it working with and for others. Where there was someone in need she lended a hand to help or an ear to listen. For she knew so many people through all her volunteering that she met up with people she knew no matter where she went in Weyburn or even other cities where people who had been touched by her life had moved. When I was a child, there were many "Grandma things" that seemed to be all about me. When I grew up I realized that her special gift was noticing what people preferred and ensuring that was what they received as long as it was in her power to give. Now we have a chance to honour this special woman who taught so much about life in such a quiet, teach by example manner. Now I see what Grandma has done for so many people by looking to what others needed and no to what she needed.
And now these three remain: perserverance, being productive, and love. But the greatest of these is love.

(This is the tribute that I wrote for my Grandma Bell who passed away on December 3, 2007. At the funeral I was unable to read it, but my Dad read it for me, as well as my sister Stacy's tribute and also mentioned that my sister Selena had done the spray of flowers atop the casket.)